Feelings of Fall
The mornings are chilly, the sun sets sooner, and the vineyards are changing color; it is fall. With fall comes the harvest of fall crops: pumpkins, winter squash, and gourds. But even with these feelings of fall, tomatoes have not…
Purposely Small
A few weekends ago I was at a grand opening party for a local Sonoma Valley business, T.A.T. Gallery. I ran into friends and acquaintances, enjoyed tasty food, good music, even an amazing magic show. It was lovely to get away…
Living Seed Catalog
Last week I spent some time at the National Heirloom Expo. Each year they have large, detailed displays of squash, tomatoes, peppers, and melons. All organized by varieties, its like a living seed catalog. As a farmer you spend a lot…
Colorful Beans
Last week I harvested the first of this year’s dried bean crop. I am growing four different bean varieties this year Tiger Eye, Jacob’s Cattle, Hutterite, and Calypso. Each of these varieties has a distinct colorful pattern hidden underneath their…
Win Tickets to the Heirloom Expo
We are giving away a pair of 3-day passes to The 2014 National Heirloom Exposition. You have two chances to win via Facebook or Instagram. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sept. 5th on my weekly radio show, Sustainable Growing, 2pm to 3pm (PST) To enter on Facebook:…
The Changing Light
Thursday morning while I was getting seedlings ready for market and harvesting tomatoes. I couldn’t help but notice shadows that weren’t there a few weeks ago. The sun’s position has changed, it’s no longer directly over head, its starting to lean towards the…
Harvest For Now and Later
During this time of year the main task on the farm is harvesting. The tomatoes are ripening so fast that almost everyday some row of plants need to be harvested. Just week, I harvested over 70 pounds of cherry tomatoes. I’m…
Autumn is Coming
The winter squash vines are beginning to crowd the walkways and are taking over the field. Hidden underneath the big leaves and bright yellow flowers are beautiful baby squash, starting to take on their varieties distinct shape. With all the…
Tomatoes Tomatoes Tomatoes
The field is full of ripe tomatoes! I’ve been harvesting the plants a couple of times a week to keep up with all bounty. At Quarter Acre we grow 10 different varieties of beautifully delicious tomatoes. Right now we are…
Bees, a Farmer’s Best Friend
The winter squash and pumpkin plants are blooming and the bees are having a field day. The honey bees and native bees go into the large blossoms and come out covered in pollen from head to toe. Some bees even…
Farm Critters
This past week, I’ve been watching all the critters on the farm. Woodpeckers, lizards, robins, hummingbirds, ground squirrels, quail, and even a California king snake. I love seeing the farm full of biodiversity. I believe it is important to have some…
Tiny Fruit
Cherry tomato harvest started this week and the blackberries are not far behind. As much as I love both of these sweet little fruits they very are labor intensive to harvest. I grow about 600 row feet of cherry tomatoes,…